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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29484318">Sick with Revenge</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/yeetbinch/pseuds/yeetbinch'>yeetbinch</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>RDR - Fandom, Red Dead Redemption (Video Games), Red Dead Redemption 2, rdr2 - Fandom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Ending, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Chapter 2: Horseshoe Overlook (Red Dead Redemption 2), Gen, No Spoilers, Other, Video Game: Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 23:15:36</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,034</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29484318</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/yeetbinch/pseuds/yeetbinch</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Arthur Morgan &amp; Dutch van der Linde, Micah Bell &amp; Arthur Morgan, Micah Bell &amp; Dutch van der Linde</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Sick with Revenge</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was a cold day out in Horseshoe Overlook. The air was frigid and frosty, leaving a visible cloud when you exhaled. On this day, Arthur knew there was something wrong. His lungs were working at half mast capacity and his body was wracked with a dry, heaving cough. He’d heard about this disease or illness or whatever the hell it is from a stranger in town he’d overheard. Corona virus or something, it was called. He found Dutch, outside his tent, smoking his usual cuban cigar in the early morning chill.<br/>“Dutch, do ya mind coming over here real quick, it's kind of important..”<br/>Arthur whispered hoarsely.<br/>Dutch shot Arthur a confused look, but walked over anyways, he was about to go right up to Arthur, but Arthur quickly backed away and held his hands up, signalling Dutch to stay back.<br/>“Dutch, I think I’ve got that new virus everyones been talkin’ ‘bout.”<br/>“Oh, Arthur... “ Dutch sighed.<br/>“It’s fine, Dutch. I’ll be fine. I just..” Arthur sighed harshly, “I just want to stay put in my tent for a bit, you know? Don’t wanna be spreadin’ this shit ‘round. People be saying it affects every folk differently. Don’ wanna be responsible for spreading it to Jack. They say two weeks until it’s unspreadable.”<br/>“Arthur, son, I understand, but we can’t be having you out of commission that long, my boy. You need to rest up, recover and then get back out there! Two weeks be damned.”<br/>“I understand, Dutch. I just- I just don’t wanna spread it-”<br/>Dutch looked at Arthur with a critical eye,<br/>“Now, Arthur,” He spoke with a cool tone, “Don’t go doubting me, have some faith, son. I have a plan.”<br/>“Sure, Dutch…” Arthur mumbled as Dutch strode back to his tent, presumably to resume his reading.<br/>Arthur headed back in his tent, not before hastily ripping a page out of his tattered journal and leaving an explanation to his fellow gang members. They, in return, left gifts of food and trinkets as a get-well-soon present.<br/>After a week had passed, Arthur felt significantly better. Despite feeling almost normal, he didn’t want to leave his tent for another week, he’d heard from townsfolk that this shit spread like a wildfire. He’d tried talking to Dutch about it again, but the older man was having nothing of it. The conversation had ended on a sour note, with Arthur saying “Y’know, sometimes I feel like you don’t have our best interests at heart here, Dutch.” <br/>The older man had stopped in his tracks and fixed him with a heated glare, contrasting his positively icy tone.<br/>“You’ll be the one to betray me, Arthur. I just know it.”<br/>Arthur didn’t have the energy to ask him what the hell that meant, he just let him walk off, his steps fading into the muted sounds of the wild life. <br/>As per Dutch’s wishes, Arthur reluctantly joined the rest of the gang outside for his welcoming back party, another thing he was unsure about due to the contagious nature of this illness.<br/>“Dutch, I mean, are you sure we should be holding big gatherings like this? I mean, I might still be contagious and the doctors in town say-”<br/>“Arthur, I heard enough about this flu from you. Have you really lost your faith in me? The doctors in town can say all they damn-well please, I KNOW that this is another ploy of the governments to get us “outlaw vermin” to settle down into this newfound civilization. I’m not asking very much from you, son. All I am asking is for you to have some goddamn faith in me, boy. And get that stupid mask off your face, you look like a damn fool, buying into government nonsense like that.”<br/>Before Arthur could have a chance to even contest the mindset that Dutch seemed to have, he heard a rat scurried up behind him. Rather, he smelt the rat before he heard it: Micah.<br/>“Gone soft have you, Blacklung? Maybe you’re not suited for outlaw life anymore. Times are-a-changin’.”<br/>“Get the hell away from me, Micah. I am not in the mood to deal with this today.”<br/>“Dutch is right, you know. This “illness” you have is no more than a simple cold. I would’ve thought you better rather than to fall into a trap like this, Morgan, but I guess you never were the brains of the bunch.” <br/>Micah sneered.<br/>Arthur coughed up phlegm and spat it on Micah’s face, watching the man’s expression flicker in between disgust and shock as the snot dripped from his temple. Then, for good measure, he coughed directly on him. <br/>“Shouldn’t bother you, right cowpoke? It’s just a cold.” <br/>“You goddamn-”<br/>“BOYS, what is going on here?”<br/>Dutch’s booming voice interrupted the heated exchange.<br/>“Sorry, Dutch. I’m still recovering, y’know and I accidentally coughed up on Micah a ‘lil.”<br/>“It’s ok, son. Don’t be worried for Micah. He and I know that it’s simply a cold, nothing more. Take our word on it for once, son, and go lie down.”<br/>Arthur smiled,<br/>“I think I’ll do that, I’ll catch ya later.”<br/>When Arthur woke up, Micah was nowhere to be seen. After asking around he discovered from a joyous Mary-Beth that he was in his tent, sick. <br/>“What a shame, what a goddamn shame.. Hopefully he makes a smooth recovery. I hear from the townsfolk that this illness can cause some… complications, if you will.”<br/>Arthur remarked.<br/>Later that night, he slipped into Micah’s tent, taking care not to disturb the greasy cowpoke from his feverish sleep, and grabbed his canteen. He dumped the water outside of Micah’s tent and replaced it with his homemade nightshade-infused stream water. After the deed was done, he carefully slipped back into his tent and let sleep take him.<br/>In the morning, Arthur was woken up by numerous whispering and murmuring over the campfire. He got up, only to be greeted by the entire gang looking solemn. <br/>“What’s ‘appening over here? It’s like someone died!”<br/>“Arthur… Micah died…”<br/>Tilly said softly, looking downwards.<br/>Arthur made eye contact with Mary-Beth.<br/>“What a shame, what a goddamn shame.”<br/>They shared a smile.</p>
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